Leg-rest and control arrangement for chair



Nov. 22, 1960 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE 2,961,036

LEG-REST AND CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR CHAIR Filed March 22, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. 6, 2 F/F/DTJOF sou/2,940:

BY M4411 Nov. 22, 1960 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE 2,961,035

LEG-REST AND CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR 0mm Filed March 22, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet z United States Patent 9 LEG-REST AND CONTROL ARRANGEMENTFOR CHAIR Fridtjof F. Schliephacke, Berlin-Schrnargendorf, Germany,assignor to Anton Lorenz, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Filed Mar. 22, 1957, Ser. No. 647,795 Claims. (Cl. 155-106) The presentinvention relates to articles of furniture, and in particular to animproved leg-rest and control arrangement for the type of a chairincluding a support and body supporting means having a seat and aback-rest rockably mounted on the support.

It is known to construct a chair including a seat and back-rest rockablymounted on a support and a leg-rest disposed adjacent the forward end ofthe seat with provision for coordinating movement of the seat and legitis within the contemplation of the present invention to provide animproved linkage control coordinated to movement of the back-rest of thechair which is effective to move the leg-rest upwardly and outwardly inrelation to the seat of the chair in response to the reclining movementof the back-rest.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment demonstrating features ofthe present invention, the improved leg-rest and control arrangementcomprises a leg-rest disposed adjacent the forward end of the seat ofthe chair, a pivotally mounted arm, a first controlling link crossingthe pivotally mounted arm and having both a pivotal and slidableconnection to said arm, and a second pivotally mounted controlling link,said second controlling link pivotally mounting said arm and having apivotal connection to said first controlling link at a location spacedrearwardly of the pivotal and slidable connection. The spacing betweenthe pivotal mount for the second controlling link and its pivotalconnection to the first controlling link is greater than the spacingbetween the pivotal mount for the arm on said second controlling linkand its pivotal and slidable connection to the first controlling linkwhereby the second controlling link describes a greater are than thefirst arm which in turn is effective to turn the leg-rest both upwardlyand outwardly in relation to the forward end of the seat. Coordinationof the improved =foot-rest linkage to the back-rest and the seat isachieved by a further linkage means of known construction.

The above brief description as well as further objects and advantages ofthe invention will best be appreciated by reference to the followingdetailed description of a number of preferred embodiments, when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of recliningchair demonstrating features of the present invention, with a portion ofone side wall broken away to disclose the details of the operatingmechanism at the one side of the chair;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, with portions broken away,illustrating the chair in Fig. 1 and showing the coordinated position ofthe seat and leg-rest when the ployed at each side of the chair in Fig.l for coordinating the movement of the seat and the leg-rest to theback-rest;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, illustratinga further embodiment of reclining chair demonstrating features of thepresent invention; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the chair illustrated in Fig. 4,but showing the coordinated position of the seat and leg-rest when theback-rest is in the reclined position.

Referring now specifically to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, there is shown afirst embodiment of the invention which, except for the improvedleg-rest arrangement, is subject to a latitude of variations and change.Specifically, it will be seen that in Fig. 1 the chair 10 has a frame12, body-supporting means 14 having a seat 16 and a back-rest 18, and aleg-rest 20 disposed adjacent and beneath the forward end of the seat 16and mounted for coordinated movement with the back-rest 18. In thisillustrative form of invention, identical linkage arrangements areemployed at each side of the chair for coordinating movement of the seat16 and the leg-rest 20 to the back-rest.

mechanism at the adjacent side of the chair, which adjacent side hasbeen exposed by removal of portions of the support or frame 12.

The back-rest 18 of the body-supporting means 14 is rockably mounted onthe support 12 at the pivot 38. The seat 16 is mounted on the same pivotby means of a pair of rearwardly projecting bars 40 which are fixed tothe seat 16 and pivotally mount the seat 16 on the support 12 at thepivot 38. The illustrative rockable mount for the seat 16 and theback-rest 18 on the support is coaxial, but the respective pivotalconnection for the seat and the backrest on the support could be spacedfrom each other.

An appropriate linkage arrangement is interconnected between thereclinable back-rest 18 and the seat 16 to transmit the movement of theback-rest 18 to the seat 16, whereby in response to reclining movementof the backrest, the seat is displaced to the inclined positionillustrated in Fig. 2. This linkage arrangement includes a guiding link44 and first and second connecting links 48, 50. The guiding link 44 hasa pivotal connection 60 at its upper end to the support 12. Intermediateits ends, the guiding link 44 has a pivotal connection 79 to one end ofthe connecting link 48, the other end of said connecting link having apivotal connection 58 to the lower end of the back-rest 18 at a pointspaced below the pivot 38 of thei body-supporting means 14 on thesupport 12. The seat.

connecting link 50 has its upper end pivotally connected to the seat 16at the pivot 64 and has its lower end pivotally connected to a lateralextension of the guiding link 4 at the pivot 66. The extension isintegral with the guiding link 44 at a point spaced above the pivot-a1connection 79. The described linkage arrangement is effective to'Extending across the arm 70 is a first controlling link 76 which isconnected at its rearward end to the guiding link 44 and at its forwardend to the leg-rest 20. At a location intermediate its ends, the firstcontrolling link.

Patented Nov. 22, 1960 Accord I ingly, it will suflice to describe thedetails of the linkage 76 hasapivotal and slidableconnection tothe arm70. The pivotal connection at the rearward end of the first controllinglink to the guiding link 44 has been designated by thereference numeral62; the pivotal. connegtionatthe few 3 nd 0f rst controlling: link tothe 1eg-rest ZO 'hasbeendesignated by the reference numeral 86; and thepivotal and slidable connection between the first con trolling link 76and the arm 70 includes the pin 805011 the link 76, and the elongatedslot 82formed in the Intermediatethe lower end of thearm, 7i) and the lerest 20 is afurther connectinglink 92 which has a pivotal connection;94; at its forward end to the leg-rest 20 at a.

location spaced belowthe-pivotal connection 86,-and a pivotal.connection 90 at its rearward end to thelower trolling link 96 has itsupper hooked end pivotally mounted on the seat 16 at'the pivot 99 andsupports the arm 70 which-is connected thereto at pivot 72. The secondcontrolling link 96has a pivotalconnection 98' at its lower end to thefirst controllinglink. 76 at a location spaced rearwardly relative tothe pivotal and' slidable connection between the first controlling link76 and the arm 70. The spacing between the pivotal connection 99 of thesecond controlling link 96 ,v on the seat and its pivotal connection 98to the first controlling link 76' is, greater than the spacingbetweenthe pivotal connection 72 of the arm '70 on the secondcontrolling link 96 and the'pivotal and slidable connection 80, 82between the arm 70 and the firstcontrolling link76, the pin till-beingat the upper end of the slot 82 as shown inFig. 1. Thus, in response toreclining movement of the back-rest, the second controlling link 96 willtraverse a greater are than that traversed by the arm 70 whereby theleg-rest 2%) is translated both outwardly and upwardly in. response tothe drive imparted to the first controlling link via the guidinglink 44and the connecting link 48. The function ,of the second controllinglink% is to'guide the pin 80- in the slot 82 of the first controllinglink 76 so that the pin 80 is urged downwardly toward the lower end ofthe slot (Fig. 2) in response to movement of the backrest into thereclined position to provide an efiectively longer support for the legsof the person using the chair.

The purpose of the present irnproved linkage arrangement may he morefully appreciated by considering typical but nonetheless illustrativedimensionsof a chair. The average seat length is approximately 21 andthe average leg-rest length is approximately lit". Thus the overall,dimensionfor supportingthe portioniof. the-persons-torsoiromthe hip.pivot to the feet is approximately However, experience indicates thatthis dimension should be of the order of 38", and that a 49" support isoptimum. By the linkage arrangement described whereby the leg-rest 2%)is transmitted outwardly as well as forwardly relative to the, seat, andwith the slot 82 approximately 2" in length, it is possible-to exceedthe minimum permissible dimension and totarrive at optimum conditions.In this connection the overall height or width of the .legfrest cannotexceed 10" for the seat level should be at approximately 177; and 7" arerequired for the depth of-the seat and for clearance betweenthe lowerend of the leg-rest and the floor support.

In Figs. 4 and 5 there is illustrated a modification of the chair ofFigs. lto 3 which is substantially identical to the: embodiment:illustrated in Figs; 1 to 3. inclusive.

Accordingly,- the corresponding parts haverbeen nat y hesame. r f r n e.num r s as mployed n.

Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, but aspart of a series. In lieu of a support,seat and back-rest having a coaxial pivot or spaced apart pivots, inthis embodiment the seat 116 and back-rest 118 are rigid with each otherand together constitute the body supportingunit 114 which is pivoted onthe support 112 at the pivot;138.

The leg-rest 120 is disposed; adjacent to and beneath the forward end oftheseat116 and is supported thereon by identicallinkage/arrangementsarranged at each side of the. chair. The linkagearrangements each embody an arm 170 pivoted on the second controllinglink 196 and havingva' pin-.and"slot,connection,180,'182 to a firstcontrolling link 176, The first controlling link 176 is pivotallyconnected'at 186' to theleg-rest 120 and a connecting link 192 ispivotally connected between the lower end of the arm 170 and theleg-rest 120 at the respective pivots 190, 194; The second controllinglink 196 is pivoted on the seat at. the pivot l99 and has a pivotalconnection 198 to the first controlling link 176 at a location spacedrearwardly of the pin and slot connection 180, 182. A guiding link 144.has its upperend pivotally mountedon the supportv 112 at the pivotalconnection The lower end of the guidiugilink 14-4 is pivotally connectedat the pivotal connection 162 to the rearward end of the firstcontrolling link 1%. i

In this embodiment, whenthe back-rest 118 is urged, rearwardly to thereclined position, the unitary seat 116 is moved therewith and thelegrest12tl is extended outwardly, upwardly andforwardlytas seenin Fig.5 by the linkage arrangement which is coordinated to the bodysupportingunit 114.

From the foregoing illustrative invention, itwill be appreciated that inaccordance with the present invention an improved leg-rest control anrangement is provided which. is compatible with the space andlstructurallimitations imposed for, chairs of this type, yet provide for theextension of the legtrest in relation to the seat to comfortablyaccommodate theuser in the reclined position. A latitude ofmodifications, change and substitution is intended in the foregoingdisclosure and accordingly the appended claims should be construedbroadly and in a. manner consistent, with the spirit and scopeof theinvention. In some instances, some features of the invention will beused without a, corresponding use of other features.

What Iclaim is:

1. An improved leg-rest and control arrangement for use in a chairincluding a support member and abodysupporting member having'a seatand aback-rest movably mounted on said support for rearward movement tovarious reclining positions, said arrangement corn-v prising a leg-restvadapted to be moved to an elevated leg-supporting position as saidbody-supporting member moves .rearwardly, an arm, a first controllinglink, means providing a pivotal and slidable connection between saidfirstcontrolling link and said arm, a second controlling link, meanspivotally mounting said second controlling link on said seat ata firstpivotal mount, meansipivotally' mounting said arm on said controllinglink at a second pivotal mount spaced fromv said first pivotal mount ofsaid second control-link on said seat for turning move ment relative tosaid second controlling link and said seat, said arm turning in aforwardly directed are about said second pivotal mount as saidbody-supporting means and said second controlling link move rearwardly,means providinga pivotal connection between said second controlling iinkand said first controlling link, means pivotally connecting said firstcontrolling link to said leg:rest, means operatively connecting said armto, said leg-rest, and means connecting said first controlling link toatleast one of said members for coordinating the movement of saidleg-rest to movement of said back-rest,

2., An improved leg-rest and control arrangement: according to claim 1wherein said last-named; means;

embodiments of the,

includes at least one guide link pivotally mounted on said support.

3. An improved leg-rest and control arrangement for use in a chairincluding a support member and a bodysupporting member having a seat anda back-rest movably mounted on said support for rearward movement tovarious reclining positions; said arrangement comprising a leg-restadapted to be moved to an elevated leg-supporting position as saidbody-supporting member moves rearwardly, an arm, a first controllinglink, means providing a pivotal and slidable connection between saidfirst controlling link and said arm, a second controlling link, meanspivotally mounting said second controlling link on said seat at a firstpivotal mount, means pivotally mounting said arm on said secondcontrolling link at a second pivotal mount spaced from said firstpivotal mount of said second control link on said seat for turningmovement relative to said second controlling link and said seat, saidarm turning in a forwardly directed are about said second pivotal mountas said body-supporting means and said second controlling link moverearwardly, means providing a pivotal connection between said secondcontrolling link and said first controlling link, means providing apivotal connection between said first controlling link and said legrest,a connecting link pivotally connecting said arm to said leg-rest, andmeans connecting said first controlling link to one of said members forcoordinating the movement of said leg-rest to movement of said backrest.

4. An improved leg-rest and control arrangement according to claim 3wherein said body-supporting member includes a seat and back-restmounted on said support for inclining and reclining movementrespectively and wherein said last-named means includes a connectinglink pivotally connected to said first controlling link and to saidback-rest.

5. An improved leg-rest and control arrangement according to claim 3wherein said body-supporting member includes a rigid seat and back-restand wherein said last-named means includes a guiding link pivotallymounted on said support member and pivotally connected to said firstcontrolling link.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,745,469 Lorenz May 15, 1956 2,750,988 Luckhardt June 19, 19562,781,825 Lorenz Feb. 19, 1957 2,788,058 Luckhardt Apr. 9, 19572,888,978 Schliephacke June 2, 1959

